Volume 3 Chapter 2

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Volume 3 Chapter 2: Black Flame

"Senior Brother Xu, just now I heard from Li Yuhan that you’re back. Are you here now?"

Just as Xu Qingfan was about to gather the things he left in the room, Jin Qinghan’s familiar, clear voice suddenly came from outside the door. Although the voice was clear and cold, Xu Qingfan could clearly sense the eagerness and joy hidden within it.

Hearing Jin Qinghan’s voice, Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback. He didn’t expect Jin Qinghan to show up right after he returned. Earlier, Xu Qingfan had learned from Li Yuhan that among those who frequently inquired about his whereabouts during the past year, Jin Qinghan was the most persistent one. It seemed that every time Jin Qinghan finished his isolation training, his first task was to confirm Xu Qingfan’s whereabouts with Li Yuhan and others. From Jin Qinghan’s recent words, it was clear that he had just been to Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan’s place, but this time, Xu Qingfan had just returned.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan felt touched. He wasn’t sure if he could do the same if Jin Qinghan was the one who had left. It was this uncertainty that moved Xu Qingfan even more.

"Junior Brother Jin, I’ve returned." Xu Qingfan said to Jin Qinghan outside the door.

Even though Xu Qingfan felt touched inside, with many words unspoken, he only managed to say a simple sentence. Xu Qingfan knew that with the relationship between him and Jin Qinghan, words of gratitude were unnecessary.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s familiar voice coming from the room, Jin Qinghan pushed the door open. When he saw Xu Qingfan, a warmth flickered in his eyes, and when he saw Ting’er and Little Green, a flash of surprise crossed his face.

After entering the room, neither Jin Qinghan nor Xu Qingfan spoke immediately; instead, they quietly observed each other for a moment. In fact, even in the past, Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan didn’t talk much when together, but there was no awkwardness between them, only a close yet comfortable feeling.

Seeing that Xu Qingfan was safe and sound, Jin Qinghan seemed to feel relieved and asked, "Has everything been smooth since Senior Brother Xu went down the mountain this year?" Jin Qinghan didn’t ask about the identity of Ting’er and Little Green because he wasn’t the nosy type and also because he knew Xu Qingfan would explain everything to him.

Upon hearing Jin Qinghan’s question, Xu Qingfan didn’t answer directly but instead smiled and introduced Ting’er to Jin Qinghan, saying, "Junior Brother Jin, this is my last close family in the world, my niece Ting’er. I’ve brought her back to Jiuhua Gate to learn the skills of cultivation with me." Then Xu Qingfan introduced Jin Qinghan to Ting’er, saying, "This is your Ninth Uncle’s best friend on Jiuhua Mountain, Uncle Jin Qinghan."

After Xu Qingfan’s introduction, Jin Qinghan took another careful look at Ting’er. His eyes lingered momentarily on the mysterious purple and blue flame pattern on her face. Looking at this young girl, whose expression was even more aloof than his own, Jin Qinghan’s expression softened slightly, perhaps fearing he might startle her, or maybe because he felt safer around strangers.

What surprised Jin Qinghan was that Ting’er, upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s introduction, didn’t greet him like an ordinary child would, nor did she show any shyness towards a stranger. She simply gazed silently at him. However, Jin Qinghan seemed to understand her silent gaze; she was greeting him and also quietly observing him as he observed her.

A peculiar little girl. Though Jin Qinghan hadn’t spoken a word to Ting’er, he had already formed this impression in his mind. Jin Qinghan couldn’t quite understand why a little girl’s personality would be so distant.

Suppressing his curiosity, Jin Qinghan spoke softly to Ting’er, "Work hard in your cultivation; don’t embarrass me or your Ninth Uncle."

There were no words of praise or any polite conversation that an elder would typically give upon first meeting a younger person; instead, Jin Qinghan’s words carried a hint of sternness and a sense of urging. Xu Qingfan knew that Jin Qinghan spoke this way because he already regarded Ting’er as his own niece.

After introducing Ting’er and Jin Qinghan to each other, Xu Qingfan noticed the puzzled look in Jin Qinghan’s eyes and realized he was curious about Ting’er’s unusual behavior. Xu Qingfan sighed softly and said to Ting’er, "Ting’er, why don’t you go to the room next door and see if there are any books you’d like? I’ll have a chat with your Uncle Jin Qinghan."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Ting’er’s eyes shimmered slightly, as if she had thought of something, and then she obediently nodded and walked quietly towards the large wooden house next to them, holding Little Green.

Xu Qingfan watched Ting’er’s departing figure silently, only sighing slightly after she entered the house. He gave Jin Qinghan a wry smile and said, "It’s a long story."

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s wry smile, Jin Qinghan didn’t press for more information. Instead, he looked at Xu Qingfan quietly, waiting for his story. Although Jin Qinghan was usually a man of few words, he had always been Xu Qingfan’s best listener.

So, with Jin Qinghan’s quiet attention, Xu Qingfan began to recount his experiences over the past year after leaving the mountain. From his dealings in Gushan Town to discovering the changes in Southern Wasteland, from uncovering Naxiu’s true identity to Xu Lin’s dying request, from the reason behind Ting’er’s transformation to avenging his parents by slaying the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast, and from his market experiences to his travels in Middle-earth over the past six months.

Throughout the year’s journey, Xu Qingfan had accumulated many emotions—sorrow at Xu Lin’s death, worry over Ting’er’s situation, confusion after avenging against the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast—but he had no one to confide in. Jin Qinghan’s presence finally allowed Xu Qingfan to unburden all his feelings of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness. After sharing everything, he felt much lighter.

"Senior Brother Xu, some things are not within your control. There’s no need to feel too sad or to blame yourself," Jin Qinghan said, surprised at the eventful and varied experiences Xu Qingfan had over the past year, but he still gently comforted Xu Qingfan when he noticed his forlorn expression.

Xu Qingfan waved his hand at Jin Qinghan to show he was fine and said softly, "I know some things are beyond my control, but similarly, many things cannot be easily forgotten or let go. But don’t worry, Junior Brother Jin, the past is behind me. I might feel emotional when looking back, but I won’t be sad. Being sad once is enough."

Hearing what Xu Qingfan said, Jin Qinghan didn’t say much more. Instead, he hesitantly asked, "Senior Brother Xu, do you really want to teach Ting’er the ways of cultivation? What if, after mastering them, she seeks revenge for her father’s death? From what I observed earlier, Ting’er is even more talented than I am."

"Character can change slowly over time, and hatred can gradually fade. By the time Ting’er has the same strength as me, it will likely be twenty years from now. Such a long time is enough for me to slowly change Ting’er’s disposition." Upon hearing Jin Qinghan’s words, Xu Qingfan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. To be honest, he occasionally had such worries too. But he couldn’t bear to just watch Ting’er slowly grow old and die as a mortal before his eyes, as Ting’er was his only relative left in the world. So, he decided to teach Ting’er cultivation. Moreover, Xu Qingfan believed that with his efforts, time could heal all wounds.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Jin Qinghan felt a bit unconvinced deep down, but he didn’t say much more. He knew Xu Qingfan well and understood that although Xu Qingfan was easygoing, once he made up his mind, it was hard to change. So, he secretly decided to keep a closer watch on Ting’er’s actions in the future. If Ting’er ever intended to harm Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan might have no choice but to prevent it, even if it meant falling out with Xu Qingfan.

Just as Jin Qinghan understood Xu Qingfan well, Xu Qingfan also understood him. Seeing Jin Qinghan’s silence, Xu Qingfan immediately guessed what Jin Qinghan was thinking. But Xu Qingfan didn’t want to continue the conversation on this topic, so he asked, "Junior Brother Jin, how have you been this past year?"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s question, Jin Qinghan couldn’t help but frown slightly and said, "Nothing much, just continued my cultivation. Over the year, I’ve entered seclusion five times but still haven’t broken through to the middle stage of the Lingji Stage. Yet Feng Qingtian reached the middle stage of the Lingji Stage two years ago."

Although his voice was calm, Xu Qingfan could still hear the disappointment and frustration within it.

Xu Qingfan sighed softly in his heart. Jin Qinghan was good at everything, except that he liked to compare himself to Feng Qingtian too much. This, while it helped him progress rapidly in the short term because he had a goal, would become a shadow in his heart over time, hindering Jin Qinghan’s future development. Maybe only when Jin Qinghan truly defeated Feng Qingtian one day could he resolve this inner conflict.

But Xu Qingfan had no solution for this problem yet. He could only offer comfort, "The further you progress, the harder it is to break through. You can’t rush it. Feng Qingtian has the blood of an ancient mythical beast, so naturally, he breaks through faster than others. Junior Brother Jin, don’t worry about it."

Seeing that although Jin Qinghan nodded at his words, he still frowned deeply, clearly still very concerned, Xu Qingfan felt a slight stir in his heart. He took out a bottle of the "Golden Spirit Pill" that he had exchanged with the Watchman from his sleeve and handed it to Jin Qinghan, smiling as he said, "During this trip, I happened to come across a bottle of Medicine King Valley’s spiritual pill, ‘Golden Spirit Pill.’ With it, I believe your breakthrough in cultivation should be much quicker, right?"

When Jin Qinghan saw the "Golden Spirit Pill" in Xu Qingfan’s hand, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. Although Jiuhua Gate gave Jin Qinghan some elixirs from Medicine King Valley every year, they were fewer in number and less effective than the "Golden Spirit Pill." Now, with Xu Qingfan’s bottle of "Golden Spirit Pill," Jin Qinghan was confident he could break through to the middle stage of the Lingji Stage within the year.

Jin Qinghan silently took the "Golden Spirit Pill" from Xu Qingfan, carefully placing it into his sleeve. He knew that something as rare as the "Golden Spirit Pill" wasn’t something Xu Qingfan could have come by accidentally. It must have been specifically sought out for him by Xu Qingfan. Though deeply moved, Jin Qinghan didn’t say much, as he and Xu Qingfan both understood that gratitude was not something to merely express with words.

Just when Jin Qinghan tucked the "Golden Spirit Pill" into his sleeve, both he and Xu Qingfan suddenly changed their expressions, as they felt a faint ripple of fire Spirit Qi emanating from the room next door. What was more surprising was that this fire Spirit Qi seemed to contain an unfamiliar and eerie energy.

Having experienced the battle in the Southern Wasteland, Xu Qingfan recognized that the strange energy was the demonic energy previously possessed by Naxiu!

As soon as the two sensed the fire Spirit Qi fluctuation, they exchanged startled glances and, without hesitation, swiftly rushed towards the wooden house next door.

Xu Qingfan moved at an incredible speed, worried that something might happen to Ting’er. He pushed his speed to the limit and instantly arrived at what used to be Lu Huayan’s room, only to be taken aback by the scene before him.

Ting’er stood quietly beneath the bookshelf in the room, a slender black flame flickering from her right fingertip, swaying like a demon. The illumination made the strange patterns of purple-blue flames on Ting’er’s face appear even more uncanny. Ting’er quietly watched the black flame at her fingertip, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

At Ting’er’s feet, Little Green curled its body, trembling uncontrollably, seemingly terrified of the black flame Ting’er held. Beside Little Green lay a fallen book, with the bold letters "Precepts of the Fire-based Taoist Method" on its cover!

Within moments, Jin Qinghan also rushed into the room with Xu Qingfan. Upon seeing the eerie black flame at Ting’er’s fingertip, he too was shocked.